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MLB looks to Harper, Trout, Judge to connect with fans

FILE - From left are 2017 file photos showing Bryce Harper, of the Washington Nationals, Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels and Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees. Harper, Trout and Judge have become the face of baseball as a gleaming, modernist ballpark and a city known for its Latino culture host the All-Star Game for the first time. (AP Photo/File)
FILE - From left are 2017 file photos showing Bryce Harper, of the Washington Nationals, Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels and Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees. Harper, Trout and Judge have become the face of baseball as a gleaming, modernist ballpark and a city known for its Latino culture host the All-Star Game for the first time. (AP Photo/File) FILE - From left are 2017 file photos showing Bryce Harper, of the Washington Nationals, Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels and Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees. Harper, Trout and Judge have become the face of baseball as a gleaming, modernist ballpark and a city known for its Latino culture host the All-Star Game for the first time. (AP Photo/File)

By Associated Press 6 min read

MIAMI (AP) – Bryce Harper, Mike Trout and Aaron Judge have become the face of baseball as a gleaming, modernist ballpark and a city known for its Latino culture host the All-Star Game for the first time. After decades of falling behind, the sport finally has stepped up its national promotion.

There’s huge room for improvement: Not one player from baseball is among the 100 most famous athletes in the world.

LeBron James, Tom Brady and Tiger Woods dominate water-cooler talk far more than Max Scherzer and Chris Sale, the starting pitchers in Tuesday night’s game at Marlins Park.

“I feel he’s won 15 rings,” Harper said of Brady on Monday. “If you win, you’re going to get noticed.”

Major League Baseball hopes to break into a wider public consciousness with this new generation – for the first time since at least 1961 there are no All-Stars with at least double-digit selections.